Admin Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Zone 7 Trail Project Livermore Area Recreation and Park District, Alameda County, CA Prepared For: Livermore Area Recreation and Park District 4444 East Ave Livermore, California 94550 Contact: Mathew Fuzie [email protected] Prepared By: WRA, Inc. 2169-G East Francisco Boulevard San Rafael, California 94901 Contact: Jonathan Hidalgo [email protected] Date: April 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE ........................................................................................................................ 1 2.0 PROJECT INFORMATION................................................................................................................................... 1 2.1 PROJECT TITLE .................................................................................................................. 1 2.2 LEAD AGENCY NAME AND ADDRESS .................................................................................... 1 2.3 CONTACT PERSON AND PHONE NUMBER ............................................................................. 1 2.4 PROJECT LOCATION ........................................................................................................... 1 2.5 SURROUNDING LAND USES AND SETTING ............................................................................ 2 2.6 GENERAL PLAN DESIGNATION AND ZONING DISTRICT ........................................................... 2 3.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ..................................................................................................................................... 7 3.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................... 7 3.2 PROPOSED PROJECT .......................................................................................................... 7 3.3 CONSTRUCTION ................................................................................................................. 8 3.4 PROJECT–RELATED APPROVALS, AGREEMENTS, AND PERMITS ............................................10 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS POTENTIALLY AFFECTED .................................................................................... 11 4.1 AESTHETICS ......................................................................................................................13 4.2 AGRICULTURAL AND FORESTRY RESOURCES ......................................................................17 4.3 AIR QUALITY .....................................................................................................................21 4.4 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ...................................................................................................25 4.5 CULTURAL RESOURCES .....................................................................................................49 4.6 GEOLOGY AND SOILS .........................................................................................................55 4.8 HAZARDS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ..............................................................................63 4.9 HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY .....................................................................................67 4.10 LAND USE AND PLANNING ................................................................................................73 4.11 MINERAL RESOURCES .....................................................................................................79 4.13 POPULATION AND HOUSING ..............................................................................................85 4.14 PUBLIC SERVICES ............................................................................................................87 4.15 RECREATION ...................................................................................................................89 4.16 TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC .......................................................................................91 4.17 TRIBAL CULTURAL RESOURCES ........................................................................................95 4.18 UTILITIES AND SERVICE SYSTEMS ....................................................................................97 4.19 MANDATORY AND FINDINGS OF SIGNIFICANCE ................................................................. 101 5.0 REPORT PREPARERS AND PERSONS/ORGANIZATIONS CONSULTED ............................................................. 103 6.0 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................. 104 6.1 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 104 Livermore Area Recreation and Park District Zone 7 Trail Project Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration April 2019 i Livermore Area Recreation and Park District Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Summary of Biological Communities in the Project Site…………………………………...26 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Regional Location Map ............................................................................................... 3 Figure 2. Aerial Photograph of the Project Site........................................................................... 4 Figure 3. Views of the Project Site ............................................................................................. 5 Figure 4. Views of Surrounding Land Uses ................................................................................ 6 Figure 5. Biological Communities Located within the Project Site .............................................27 Figure 6. Special-Status Plants Documented within 5 miles of the Project Site .........................33 Figure 7. Special-Status Wildlife Documented within 5 miles of the Project Site ........................40 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A Biological Resources Assessment Appendix B Delineation of Potential Jurisdictional Wetlands Appendix C Cultural Report Livermore Area Recreation and Park District Zone 7 Trail Project Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration April 2019 ii Livermore Area Recreation and Park District Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AB Assembly Bill ABAG Association of Bay Area Governments APN Assessor’s Parcel Number BAAQMD Bay Area Air Quality Management District Basin Plan Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay Basin Bay Plan San Francisco Bay Plan Bay Trail San Francisco Bay Trail BCDC San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission BMP Best Management Practice Caltrans California Department of Transportation CAP Clean Air Plan CARB California Air Resources Board CCR California Code of Regulations CDFW California Department of Fish and Wildlife (formerly California Department of Fish and Game [CDFG]) CDFG California Department of Fish and Game CEQA California Environmental Quality Act CFR Code of Federal Regulations DPM diesel particulate matter EBMUD East Bay Municipal Utility District EBRPD East Bay Regional Park District EIR Environmental Impact Report EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency GHG Greenhouse Gas H:V horizontal:vertical I-580 Interstate 580 ISP Invasive Spartina Project LARPD Livermore Area Recreation and Parks District MBTA Migratory Bird Treaty Act mg/kg milligrams per kilogram MGD million gallons per day NOx nitrogen oxides Livermore Area Recreation and Park District Zone 7 Trail Project Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration April 2019 iii Livermore Area Recreation and Park District Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration NPDES National Pollution Discharge Elimination System NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service OS Open Space PM2.5 or 10 Particulate Matter (fine or respirable) PRC Public Resource Code ROG reactive organic gases RWQCB Regional Water Quality Control Board SFRWQCB San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board SWPPP Storm Water Pollution Prevention Control Plan SWRCB State Water Resources Control Board TACs Toxic Air Contaminants USACE United States Army Corps of Engineers USDA United States Department of Agriculture USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service USGS United State Geological Survey VA Hospital Livermore Division – Veteran’s Administration Palo Alto Health Care System WRA WRA, Inc. Zone 7 Zone 7 Water Agency Livermore Area Recreation and Park District Zone 7 Trail Project Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration April 2019 iv Livermore Area Recreation and Park District Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE This Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) is being prepared to conform to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations 15000 et. seq.), and the regulations and policies of the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District (LARPD). This IS/MND evaluates the potential environmental impacts which might reasonably be anticipated to result from implementation of the Zone 7 Trail Project (proposed Project). The LARPD is the Lead Agency under CEQA and has prepared this IS/MND to address the impacts of implementing the proposed Project. The purpose of the Project is to connect two existing LARPD trails within Sycamore Grove Park. 2.0 PROJECT INFORMATION 2.1 Project Title Zone 7 Trail Project